On April 8 2004 the Constitutional Court held in Ruling 169-O that a company is allowed to reclaim value added tax (VAT) from the government only if the purchased goods or services were paid for with the company's own funds, as opposed to borrowings.

This fall will see the entry into force of new antimonopoly legislation which will affect both Russian and foreign companies alike and eliminate many gaps and uncertainties that exist under the current regulatory framework